Automatic hypodermic syringe



INVENTORS I'mklz'laalga'y 'wd zarZ'A.RodcWeZL BY'M/J A, 1 'l ATTORNEYS B. A. RocKwELL :TAL AUTOMATIC lHYPODERMIC SYRINGE AFiled Nov. l 9, 1954 oct. 21, 195:2.

AUTMATIC HYPDEC SYRINGE Burt A. Rockwell, Hershey, and Franklin W. Daugherty, Dallas, Pa., assignors to Daugherty and Rockwell, Hershey, Pa., a `partnership Application November 9, 1954, Serial No. 467,735

Claims. (Cl. 12S- 218) Y This invention relates to hypodermic syringes and more particularly to a hypodermic syringe in which the -projection of the -needle into the flesh of the person 'receiving the injection, and also the ejection of the l-iquid from the syringe, are both accomplished automatically.

There is a great need in both the military and civilian fields for a compact and easily operated hypodermic syringe adapted to be carried on the person and which will ,permit rapid hypodermic injections particularly under emergency conditions. One of the uses 'of sucha device would .be to permit theself-administration in time of emergency of therapeutic agents to counteract the lethal effects of poison gases or atomic radiation. fFor example, .there is danger in time of war that both the military forces and the civilian population might be subjected to attacks of so-called nerve gas which, when inhaled, causes unconsciousness in about four minutes and death in from fteen to twenty minutes. The eects of .this nerve ,gas may be counteracted by the injection intofthe muscular tissue of the leg of a few milligrams of Vproperly diluted .atropine sulphate (Clr/HZSNOS). A hypodermic syringe filled with the proper dose of atropine lsulphate and carried `on the ,person by military `personnel or by civilians could Abe used immediately to counteract the effeet of nervegas. Furthermore, inthe event of an enemy attack by atomic or hydrogen bombs, individuals `for enough from the center of the explosion to survive-the immediate .effects of the explosion are still subject to the eliects of radioactive particles in the atmosphere which may result in the gradual destruction of corpuscles. Efforts-are being ,made to develop chemicals to counteract the fetiect on the ,individual of atomic radiation shock. Several of Vthese counteracting materials which offer some hopeare, for example, ethylin diamintetra acetic acid and lriloysin. if a suitable chemical compound should be Vdeveloped which serves as a satisfactory agent to prevent or retard `the destruction of blood corpuscles or which Aaids in .the rapid development `of white corpusc'les, a hypodermic syringe which permits intermuscularfhypodermic injections rapidly and automatically would haveintestimahle value in saving human lives.

Another eld in which an automatically operated preloaded lhypodermic syringe would have great utility is for use in mass inoculations, such as inoculations with gamma globulin ,to prevent-poliomyelitis. A one-shot `automatically operated hypodermic syringeA filled at the 'factory .and sealed against contamination when manufactured would greatly expedite and facilitate such mass inoculations; The use of aone-shot preloaded hypodermic syringe for this. purpose would eliminate the .necessity of needle sterilization and refilling after each use.

Accordingly, it is an object of thisiuvention to provide ahypodermic syringe which is automatic in its operation and is thus suitable for use in emergency situations; 'l 'lt is another object of this invention to provide a 'lnpodermic syringe which is suitable for automatic selfadministration of hypodermic injections, particularly. under-emergency conditions.v

Patented Oct. .217, 1,958

HCC

It is still another object of this invention to provide` a self-'containedautomatic hypodermic syringe to be carried on the person by military personnelor by civilians 'in -readiness'for emergency use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a compact vhypodermic syringe adapted to be carried on the person in a loaded condition in readiness 'for use, and constantly maintained in a sealed sterile condition.

It is a still further object of Vthe invention to provide a preloaded jhypodermic syringe which maybe used as a one-shot disposable unit, and hence is suitable Yfor use in emergencies, in mass inoculations, and similar situtions.

It is still another object `of this invention to Vprovide a hypodermic syringein which the projection of the .needle into the skin of the user and also the ejection of vthe vliquid from the barrel of the syringe are both accomplished automatically.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood by reference .to the following description taken -in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section'o'f a hypodermic syringe in accordance with the invention, showing the syringein latchedposition with the needle retracted .inside the casing;

Fig. `2 is a view in vertical section showing the syringe of Fig. 1 after the latching means has been released;

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal sectionalong line 3-4-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section along line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view in 'horizontal section along line S-S of Fig. 2.

vReferring now 'to the drawing, I,there is shown an antomatic hypodermic syringe comprising .an outer k.casing generally indicatedat 10 which may betmade of anysuitf able material such as appropriate plastic or metal. in the illustrated embodiment, the casing 110 is made `of an appropriate plastic material. The casing ymay bemade of Plexiglas', for example, or aluminum, or other noncorf rosive metal alloy. The selection of .a suitable material is determined by such factors as the strength and weight required and eiiiciency and economy of production.

The casing 10 includes upper and .lower Ycasing sections l2 .and 14, respectively, which inthe embodiment shown are ofthe same outer diameter and in Ascrew-threaded engagement with each other. A spiral Vexpansionspring member 16 is anchored in any suitable manner Vatits flower end (with .respect to the view shown inthe drawing) to Vthe inner surface ofthe upper casing section. In the illustrated embodiment, which includesaplastic outercasing, the lower -end 18 of the spring is welded or otherwise suitably secured to a washer-member '20 `.which is heldin a groove .in the inner surface of casing secti,on,12V adjacent the .mouth of the Y,casing section. If casing section 12 vwere Vmade of metal, the end 18 of the spring could be spot-welded directly to the inner surface of the casing se'cf tion. A hypodermic .syringe is disposed within .the interior of casing lll. The hypodermic syringe includes a generally cylindrical .barrel member 22 which may be formed o-f `the same material as the casing.` Spring 16 is coaxially disposed about the-outer surfaceyof barrel memneedle holder 26. A hypodermic needle 28 is carried by needle holder 26. A passage 25 in neck portion 24 permits liquid flow from barrel 22 to needle holder 26 and thence to needle 28. The lower end of casing section 14 1s provided with an aperture 29 through which needle 28 is adapted to pass. Aperture 29 is normally sealed by a suitable sealing material 52 which maintains the contents of the casing in a sterile condition, but 'which may be easily penetrated by needle 28 when the tension on expansion spring 16 is released.

Disposed within barrel 22 and axially movable therein is a plunger member 30 made of a suitable material which is not subject to corrosion by the liquid contents ofthe |barrel. Plunger 30 is secured in any suitable manner to -the reduced end portion 34 of a rod member generally indicated at 32. Rod 32 extends through an aperture 36 in the upper end of the barrel 22 and outwardly through an aperture 38 in the upper end-of casing section 12. At its outer end rod 32 is provided with a small knob-like member 39 which is joined to the rod by a reduced neck portion 40. A compression spring 42 is disposed within barrel 22 between the upper end of plunger 30 and the inner surface of the upper end of the barrel adjacent the opening 36. Compression spring-42 biases vplunger34 toward a liquid-ejecting position. Compressionspring 42 is weaker than expansion spring 16.

A latch means generally indicated at 44 is provided and comprises a at arm member 46 pivotally secured within a recess 50 provided in rod 32 intermediate the length thereof. Latching arm 46 is adapted to be swung about its pivot point 48 to the position shown in Fig. l in which it is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of rod 32, in which position rod 32 is' latched in the extended position shown in Fig. l. Alternately, arm 46 may be swung about its pivot point in such man- Vner as to be completely received within recess 50.

The hypodermic syringe is preferably filled in the following manner: With casing sections 12 and 14 detached from each other, and with the end portion 23, needle carrier 26 and needle 28 detached from barrel 22, barrel 22 and plunger 30 are actuated to the positions shown in Fig. l. This is done by drawing rod 32 axially outwardly through aperture 38 in casing section 12 from thev position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. l and moving latch arm 46 about its pivotal axis 48 into latching position. In the latched position, expansion spring 16 is tensioned and compression spring 42 is under cornpression.

After the barrel 22 and plunger 30 have been latched in the position shown in Fig. l, the assembly is held in inverted position for filling. The liquid with which the syringe is to be filled is Ypoured through the open mouth of barrel 22 until the barrel 22 has been filled to the proper level. To insure a complete filling without any air space, the rod 32 may bedrawn a short distance beyond the latching point to thereby displace plunger 30 slightly beyond its normal latched position while filling is taking place. vAfter the barrel has been illed, the end cap 23 is screwed onto the end of barrel 22, needle holder 26 and needle 28 being properly positioned on the end cap. The casing section 14, with aperture 29 properly sealed, is then screwed onto the end of casing section 12. The hypodermic syringe is then readyfor use.

n To use the hypodermic syringe of the invention hereinbefore described, the latch arm 46 is swung about` its pivotal support 4S in a counter-clockwise direction with respect to the view shown in Fig. 1, to cause arm 46 -to move into axial alignment with rod 32.. As soon as the latch arm 46 is no longer in abutting relation to the upper surface of casing section 12, the tension on expansion spring 16 is suddenly released, causing barrel 22 tovbe moved rapidly downwardly 'in the casing. This causes needle 28 to penetrate the sealing material in aperture 29 at the lower end of the casing section 14, and to be projected outwardly into theposition shown in Fig. 2. During this rapid outward movement of needle 28, it penetrates the skin of the person receiving the hypodermic injection. Substantially simultaneously with the release of spring 16, the compression force on the spring 42 disposed within barrel 22 is released and plunger 30 is moved rapidly within the barrel 22 to eject the liquid from barrel 22 and through the needle into the person receiving the injection. Due to the fact that expansion spring 16 is stronger than compression spring 42, barrell 22 begins to move downwardly in casing slightly before plunger begins to move downwardly in barrel 22. Therefore, a slight lag occurs between the outward movement of needle 28 and the flow of liquid through the needle sufiicient to permit needle 28 to penetrate the skin before liquid begins to llow through the needle.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this invention a compact automatic hyd-opermic syringe which has great utility in the administration of hypodermic injections. In accordance with the invention a hypodermic syringe is provided which may be preloaded or filled at the factory with the desired dosage and subsequently maintained in a sealed sterile condition until needed. The hypodermic syringe has a dual automatic spring action. One spring serves to project the needle of the hypodermic syringe outwardly through the casing and into the flesh of the person receiving the'injection, while the other spring serves to eject the liquid from the barrel of the syringe and through the needle into the esh of the person receiving the injection. Both spring actions are subject to control and release by the same easily operated latching means to provide automatic operation of the syringe. The device may be used as a disposable one-shot hypodermic syringe which may be carried Von the person'by military personnel or by v civilians for use in an emergency. The hypodermic tions when used as a preloaded one-shot syringe since it would dispense with the requirements for refilling and sterilization of the needle after each injection.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. i

What we claim as our invention is:

l, A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior of said barrel member, a lirst means for moving said barrel member axially in said casing to'a position in which said needle is projected through sald casing, a plunger means for ejecting liquid from said barrel member through said needle, and a single latch means engaging said plunger means, release of said latch means rendering said first means and said plunger means respectively eiective to project said needle through said casing, and to eject liquid from said barrel member through said needle. Y

2. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior of said barrel member, a first biasing means for biasing said barrel member axially in said casing toward a position in which said needle is projected through said casing,` a liquid-ejecting means disposed within said barrel member, a second biasing means for biasing said liquid-ejecting means toward a liquid-ejecting position, and asingle latch means engaging said liquid-ejecting means, release of'said latch means rendering said lirst and second biasing means etective to respectively move said barrel member to project said needle through said casing, and to cause said liquid-ejecting means to eject liquid from said barrel member.

3. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior of said casing, a rst biasing means for biasing said barrel member axially in said casing toward a position in which said needle is projected through said casing, liquid-ejecting means disposed within said barrel member, a second biasing means for biasing said liquid-ejecting means toward a liquid-ejecting position, and a single latch means engaging said liquid-ejecting means to render said first and second biasing means respectively inelective to project said needle through said casing and to eject liquid from said barrel member.

4. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior thereof, spring means disposed within said casing and engageable with said barrel member for moving said barrel member axially in said casing whereby said needle is projected through said casing, a plunger member movable within said barrel member for ejecting liquid from said barrel member, a second spring means disposed within said barrel member and engaging said plunger member, and latch means carried by said plunger member and engaging said casing to render said plunger member ineffective to eject liquid from said barrel member and to hold said barrel member in a retracted position within said casing.

5. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing,a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior thereof, rst spring means disposed within said casing and engageable with said barrel member for moving said barrel member axially in said casing whereby said needle is projected through said casing, a plunger member movable within said barrel member for ejecting liquid from said barrel member, a second spring means engaging said plunger member, and a single latch means for holding said barrel member and said plunger member in predetermined positions in which said rst spring member is tensioned and said second spring member is compressed.

6. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior thereof, a rst spring means disposed within said casing and engageable with said barrel member for axially moving said barrel member in said casing whereby said needle is projected through said casing, a plunger member disposed in said barrel member for ejecting liquid from said barrel member, a second spring means disposed in said barrel member for moving said plunger member whereby liquid is ejected from said barrel member, and a single latch means engaging said plunger member for holding said barrel member and said plunger member in predetermined positions against the force of said irst and second spring means.

7. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior thereof, a rst spring means disposed within said casing and engageable with said barrel member for axially moving said barrel member in said casing whereby said needle is projected through said casing, plunger means disposed in said barrel member for ejecting liquid from said barrel member, a second spring means disposed within said barrel member for moving said plunger member whereby liquid is ejected from said barrel member, and a single latch means engaging said plunger means for holding said barrel member and said plunger means in predetermined positions against the force of said irst and second spring means.

8. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed within said casing, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior thereof, an expansion spring means disposed within the interior of said casing and anchored thereto, said barrel member being axially movable in said casing against the force of said expansion spring to retract said needle entirely within said casing, a plunger member disposed within said barrel member, a compression spring disposed within said barrel member, said plunger member being movable in said barrel member against the force of said compression spring, and latch means for holding said barrel member and said plunger member in predetermined positions against the force of said springs.

9'. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow liquid-receiving barrel member disposed Within said casing and axially movable therein, a hypodermic needle carried by said barrel member and in communication with the interior of said barrel member, a rst spring disposed within said casing and engaging an outer surface of said barrel member, a plunger member disposed within said barrel member and axially movable therein, a second spring disposed within said barrel member and engageable with said plunger member, a rod member connected to said plunger member and extending through said barrel member and through said casing to the exterior of said casing, said rod member being movable to store energy in said spring members, and means for latching said rod member in a predetermined posit-ion in which said rst spring is tensioned and said second spring is compressed.

10. A hypodermic syringe comprising an outer casing, a hollow barrel member disposed Within said casing, a hypodermic needle carried by an outer end of said barrel member and in communication with the interior of said barrel member, an expansion spring means anchored at one of its ends to said casing and disposedabout the outer surface of said barrel member, a plunger member disposed within said barrel member and axially movable therein, a compression spring disposed within said barrel member between a surface of said plunger member and a surface of said barrel, a rod member connected to said References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 159,192 Leiter Jan. 26, 1875 1,845,036 Busher Feb. 16, 1932 2,472,116 Maynes June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 539,092 France Mar. 28, 1922 1,014,881 France Aug. 25, 1952 

